Thirty Days: A Werewolf Romance

Therapy Only Works For Those Who Want To Engage

Ellie Richards

The evening weather of Sardinia was something delicious, the sea air was cool and the heat was something warm that gently caressed my skin as if a lover was stoking their fingers up and down my body. Even if I hated the Council and the prison where I was being forced to stay. I couldn't help but admit that this place was paradise. The villa itself was beautifully decorated, it was modern and contemporary but still managed to have a flare of the Mediterranean to the interior. 

I was thankful that I didn't have to see or speak with Thomas. I managed to hide away in my room for the night, the housekeeper brought me dinner but it was ignored due to my lack of hunger. Even though the garlic and toasty cheese enticed my nostrils, my stomach couldn't handle the heaviness of pasta. So I flicked through the documents on my bed before falling asleep. 

That leads to me sitting on the terracotta terrace where there were some rattan outdoor furniture. The sofa's were adorned in teal cushions that created a cosy warm feeling. In between me and Thomas was a large large rattan table. Thomas was sat lazily on the sofa, instead of his suit he was sat in a pair of casual shorts and a white skirt. He was generally well tanned due to the Florida weather but his eyes were covered with some black sunglasses that covered his eyes. His gaze was impassive and even though we were mates, I couldn't tell whether his eyes were even on me. The bond between us was almost nonexistent, I didn't even know if he wanted to repair it. 

My thoughts were interrupted as a small lady with thick black hair, her olive skin was withered like leather but she had a large smile on her face. Her brown eyes flickered between the two of us. She was dressed simply in a pair of light beige trousers and a loose fitted white tunic top. Her hair gently flowed and followed the gently beach breeze. 

"Hello, my name is Mia." She spoke as she occupied the empty chair that was placed in between us. She threw her self back before folding her legs underneath her. She was so relaxed and so chilled. She had this presence which caused me to sit back and loose the tension in my shoulders. She didn't remind me of the Council or Elders, she simply reminded me of someone who I would want to be friends with. 

Both me and Thomas gave her a tight nod in response. Neither of us spoke but both of us acknowledged her presence. She chuckled lightly "Wow, this is going to be more difficult than I thought, tough crowd." 

Again she was met with silence. My eyes flickered to Thomas who was scratching the back of his neck. I could see the furrow of his brow behind his glasses. I could tell that I wasn't the only one who was feeling awkward by this situation. 

"Well, seeing as no one is going to speak. I'll explain what I do and what my role is." She smiled. "I am a werewolf like you both but I am a trained psychologist and counsellor. My job isn't to force you into anything but to open the waves of communication between the two of you." A part of me wanted to scoff at her words but I bit my lip as I waited for her to continue speaking. Her eyes caught mine and she smiled so softly. "I can sense your hesitation at my words. Let me make myself clear. I am a separate entity from the council. I do not play to their fiddle, I beat to my own drum. I am a professional and my job is not to force anyone into doing something they don't want."

"That they don't want? Does being here not count as something that I don't want? That we are both forced to be here when we don't want to be?" I snapped. Thomas lets out a small cough into his hand at my words.

"Well Ellie? Do you mind if I call you Ellie?" I gave her a nod. "I understand that you are forced to stay here, that is something out of my control. But I don't want to force you into engaging in these sessions if you don't want to. I read your background and I understand that you have some concepts of therapy so you will know that this will not work or be effective if you don't want to engage."

I sit there silently stewing her words. She wasn't going to force me into taking part then why the hell am I here?! "Listen, I am not saying that you two have to engage in a relationship but what I want to do is offer you channels of communication. If you can't be mates or lovers, it doesn't mean that you can't be friends? All I can say is what is the harm in you two speaking to each other in a way that is healthy and resolve any tensions you may have? This may even provide you with the closure that you need to both live a good life without the threat of mates hanging over your head." 

Her words stir within me as I sit there and take in her advice. As a social worker myself I understand that sometimes you can be too close to the situation to have a holistic view. I can't deny that my wolf has a lot of anger and that trickles into me. I know it isn't healthy for her or for me. I think about my future with Seth and how I have been holding back on some of my emotions and I wonder what kind of future I can offer him if I can't get over the anger, the pain and heartbreak from the abandonment of my mate. 

"Fine, I am happy to open up some communication channels." I nod my head in reply. She gives me a megawatt smile and turns to Thomas. His mouth hangs open slightly, in surprise or shock. I don't know. 

"Thomas? You don't mind if I call you that? I don't really want to address you as Alpha. This is an informal setting I would like to keep it that way. If we start calling you Alpha that automatically affects the balance of power. In order for this to be healthy, we need to strip back?" Mia explains in a questioning tone. 

He coughs slightly and nods his head. "Yes that's fine." 

"Excellent." She cheers. "For this whole month then you both will start as as strangers and we will strip back your roles. I'm not saying we forget the path but in order for us to start somewhere it is important for us to build some type of foundation. Now shall we begin?" She chirps. 

I can't help but feel sigh hoping that I have not opened a can of worms. My wolf is silent and still isn't speaking so I can't question her judgement, she seems to have disappeared in the far reach of my mind.